Paint can holder



y 25, 1961 A. F. BOWER ETAL 2,993,672

PAINT CAN HOLDER Filed Jan. 8, 1960 j arwaylj This invention relates to means to support an open container in position for convenient access to its content and, more particularly, relates to such a holder for engaging the inner rim of a can, which rim is designed to receive a removable friction top. While the invention is broadly applicable for its purpose, it has been initially embodied as a holder to support an open paint can on a ladder in a conveniently accessible manner. The description of such an embodiment herein will provide adequate guidance for those skilled in the art who may have occasion to apply the same principles to other specific purposes.

One problem to which the invention is directed is to simplify the construction of such a holder and at the same time to provide a holder that is efiicient for its purpose. Some prior art devices of this type have movable or adjustable parts. Most of the prior art devices, moreover, are made of a plurality of parts which are assembled together for the completed devices. Obviously the construction of such a device may be greatly simplified and reduced in cost by elimination of movable parts and even more so by achieving a one-piece structure requiring no assembly operations whatsoever.

Another problem to which the invention is directed is to provide such a paint can holder that is versatile in the sense that it may be used in different ways to support a paint can in an accessible manner on different parts of a ladder. In some instances, it is desirable to support a paint can by a flat step of the ladder in a position adjacent the step with the top of the can at approximately the same level as the step. In other instances, the paint can may be more conveniently located by suspending the paint can from a rung or step of the ladder.

The present invention solves both of these problems by providing a holder in the form of a bar that is formed with a relatively small hook at one end and a relatively large hook at the other end and is further provided with a rigid transversely extending arm. The small hook engages the inner rim flange of a paint can and the larger hook engages a ladder or the like to support the can.

In one use of the invention, the device extends over a flat step of the ladder with the larger hook extending under one edge of the step and with the paint can supported adjacent the other edge. The small hook extends over the rim of the can and under the inner rim to support the can and the lateral arm abuts the outside of the can at a point substantially below the rim to hold the can upright. In a second use of the invention, the device serves as a simple suspension hanger with the larger hook engaging the ladder and the smaller hook at the other end of the device engaging the rim of the can, the can being suspended in a tilted position.

Ordinarily a device in the form of a bar with a branch arm joined thereto at an intermediate point would necessarily be made in two pieces. A feature of the invention is the concept of making the device in a single piece by extrusion. The extruded member is shaped in transverse cross section in accord with the desired shape in longitudinal section of the finished holder. The holder is fabricated simply by cutting ofi. a section of the extruded shape.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing.

ited States Patent Patented July 25, 1961 In the drawing, which is to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 shows the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the device being shown in side elevation as used to support a can from a flat step of a ladder;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device on a smaller scale showing how the device may be used as a suspension hanger;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the device may be manipulated into engagement with the inner rim of a paint can; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on a smaller scale showing how the device may be fabricated from an extruded shape.

FIG. 1 shows the selected embodiment of the invention as employed to support a paint can, generally designated 10, in upright position from a flat step 12 of a ladder 1.4-. The device may be regarded as comprising essentially an elongated member or bar 15 formed with hooks at its opposite ends and provided with a rigid laterally extending arm 16. One end of the bar forms a relatively small hook 18 and the other end forms a larger hook 20. Preferably, but not necessarily, both of the hooks are formed by two right-angled bends as shown.

It will be noted that both of the hooks 18 and 20 are turned towards the same side of the bar 15 and that the bar is long enough to extend across the top of the step 12 transversely thereof with the larger hook 20 engaging one edge of the step and with the smaller hook 18 extending beyond the other edge of the step. The hook 18 is shown as extending into the interior of the can 10 under the inner rim 22 of the can and the arm 16 is shown as abutting the outside of the can at a substantial distance below the rim of the can to hold the can in upright position. It is apparent that the bar 15 fulcrums on the edge 24 of the ladder with the end 25 of the smaller hook 18 supporting the can by the inner rim 2+2 and with the end 2 6 of the larger hook 20 transmitting the reaction load to the step at the lower edge 28 of the step.

FIG. 2 shows how the device may be used as a suspension hanger. The larger hook 20 of the device is shown in engagement with a rung 30 of a ladder. The device extends downward from the rung 30' with the smaller hook 18 of the device extending into the can and extending under and behind the inner rim 22' of the can. In this upright position of the device, the transverse arm 16 is out of contact with the can and the can is permitted to hang in a tilted position. Since the can is tilted, the device is used in this manner when the can is somewhat less than completely full. The rung 30 is shown as smaller in diameter than the inside width of the larger hook 20 but the larger hook will efiectively engage the rung even if the rung is substantially larger than shown. In fact, the larger hook 20 may be used as a hanger in the same manner to suspend the paint can from the margin of a flat step of a ladder.

FIG. 3 illustrates the simple procedure of initially engaging the smaller hook 18 with the inner rim of a can. With the device positioned as shown in FIG. 3, the larger hook 20 may be engaged with a rung 30 of a ladder, as shown in FIG. 2, or the device may be swung downward from the position shown in FIG. 3 for the purpose of mounting the device on the flat step of a ladder in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

As heretofore indicated, the preferred method of fabricating the device is to form an elongated member by extrusion, the cross-sectional configuration of the extruded member being the configuration in side elevation of the device. Thus the extruded shape would have the appearance of a channel member with inwardly flanged side walls and with an additional inclined longitudinal flange corresponding to the arm 16. FIG. 4 shows such an extruded member and indicates in dotted lines how transverse sections of the extruded member may be severed to provideembodiments of the invention. It is a simple matter to cut or saw such a shaped member transversely into increments, each increment being a complete paint can holder. The metal employed for the extrusion may be aluminum or any other suitable metal.

Our description in specific detail of the selected embodiment of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from our disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A device to hold an open paint can or the like having an inner rim, comprising: a rigid elongated member having a relatively small hook on one end and a larger hook on the opposite end; and a rigid arm rigidly unitary with the elongated member and extending laterally therefrom, said relatively small hook being dimensioned to hook over said inner rim of the can with the elongated member extending radially outward from the can approximately perpendicular to the can axis, said arm being dimensioned and positioned to contact the outside of the can at a region substantially below the can rim to cooperate with the smaller hook to hold the can upright when the elongated member is approximately horizontal, said larger hook being dimensioned to extend over and under the edge of a step of a ladder to hold the elongated member approximately horizontal.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said arm is inclined at a small angle towards said small hook relative to a line that is perpendicular to the elongated member.

3. A device to hold an open paint can or the like having an inner rim, comprising: a rigid bar formed with a relatively small hook on one end turned to one side of the bar and a larger hook on the opposite end turned to the same side of the bar; and a rigid arm rigidly unitary with the bar and extending from the same side of the bar, said relatively small hook being dimensioned to hook under said inner rim of the can with the bar extending radially outward from the can approximately perpendicular to the can axis, said arm being dimensioned and positioned to contact the outside of the can at a region substantially below the can rim to cooperate with the smaller hook to hold the can upright when the bar is approximately horizontal, said bar being dimensioned to extend over a step of a ladder and said larger hook being dimensioned to hook under an edge of the step of the ladder to hold the bar approximately horizontal.

4. A device to hold an open paint can or the like having an inner rim flange, said device comprising: a rigid member having two substantially right-angled bends at one end forming a relatively small hook to engage said inner rim of the can and having two substantially rightangled bends at the other end forming a larger hook to engage a portion of a step ladder whereby the member may extend across a step of the ladder transversely thereof with the larger hook extending around and under one edge of the step and with the smaller hook extending beyond the other edge of the step and engaging the inner rim of the can, said member having an integral arm to extend downward into contact with the outside of the can to hold the can upright.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,150 Plotke Aug. 18, 1908 1,283,160 Gross Oct. 29, 1918 2,524,875 Beaver Oct. 10, 1950 

